Phono Cartridges - Your favorites and least favorites?

Rowan said:
Probably getting near new cart time and am interested in whether anyone has any experience (or has even A/B) with any of these.

im currently using an Audio Technica VM740ML which I like and could just grab a new stylus for but also thinking

Audio Technica VM750SH
Hana EH or
Hana SH

needs to work with my phono and I don’t have the funds for a cart and a SUT
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I really liked the Hana SL while I was running it. Same needle and cantilever as the SH.
 
Angsty said:
Actually, I’d recommend the SAE 1000LT that @Joe Mac has for sale. He is too gentlemanly for self promotion, but it could be a great fit at a fantastic price.
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@Joe Mac would it work with an MM phono and do you deal with brexitville? Also, like, how much use has it etc?

Sure this is all detailed above sonewhere
 
Rowan said:
@Joe Mac would it work with an MM phono and do you deal with brexitville? Also, like, how much use has it etc?

Sure this is all detailed above sonewhere
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Its unused. It’s a high output moving coil which plugs into the MM bit of a stage because it runs with a 47kohm same as a MM. It has 2.5mV output so may work best if the phono stage has a small dB boost as most MM are 4mV to 5mV but even if it doesn’t it should be fine, just will need a bit more volume that a normal MM does from your amp.

As for UK I can post there no problem. As it’s just me posting it I’d send it registered and declare it as a €10 gift so it should get through customs.

I was looking for €150 plus postage for it. There should be a post in the sales section.
 
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Joe Mac said:
Its unused. It’s a high output moving coil which plugs into the MM bit of a stage because it runs with a 47kohm same as a MM. It has 2.5mV output so may work best if the phono stage has a small dB boost ad most MM are 4mV to 5mV but even if it doesn’t it should be fine, just will need a bit more volume that a normal MM does from your amp.

As for UK I can post there no problem. As it’s just me posting it I’d send it registered and declare it as a €10 gift so it should get through customs.

I was looking for €150 plus postage for it. There should be a post in the sales section.
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Also here’s a link to an old sales page on Thakker. Has the specs on the page for you

www.thakker.eu

SAE 1000LT Cartridge | THAKKER

www.thakker.eu www.thakker.eu
 
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Rowan said:
For what Joe just sold it me for it was a no brainier. Couldn’t even replace my AT stylus for that.

Although dabbling in MC land isn’t where my wallet wants me to be
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Yeah they were a fantastic deal on eBay from that seller who must have just uncovered a box of unsold NOS somewhere.

Once I got the Quintet I wasn’t going to use it so I’m happy to move it on to someone on here for cost.
 
Rowan said:
For what Joe just sold it me for it was a no brainier. Couldn’t even replace my AT stylus for that.

Although dabbling in MC land isn’t where my wallet wants me to be
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It's a great cart. I'm running one on my Dual 1219 and really love the sound. My phono pre has a lot of options, but I'm running the SAE on the MM setting at 47k and 0 (zero) gain, which is 45dB.
 
Joe Mac said:
Yeah they were a fantastic deal on eBay from that seller who must have just uncovered a box of unsold NOS somewhere.

Once I got the Quintet I wasn’t going to use it so I’m happy to move it on to someone on here for cost.
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Does the Quintet Black actually sound better than the SAE 1000LT?
 
Mounted the SAE 1000LT @Joe Mac kindly sold me for a song last night, aligned and thought it was decent. Couldn’t work out why it was a bit foggy, adjusted the tracking weight, double-checked the alignment on the Geo-disc. Still not exactly bustling with detail.

This afternoon I dug the old technics overhang measure out and instant difference. Absolutely rocking now. My best guess is that with my eyes being a bit shot to bits I was struggling to get the pivot point on the tonearm lined up. Redoing it and going with the worlds most basic cart alignment tool took that bit of the process out and that’s what’s fixed the sound. Which could have probably been avoided had I not been so lazy that I couldn’t be bothered to go and get my glasses out the car when I was setting the cart up in the first place.

Anyway. Massively pleased now I’ve actually been able to align it to the turntable as opposed to the plant pots in my neighbours garden.
 
Rowan said:
Mounted the SAE 1000LT @Joe Mac kindly sold me for a song last night, aligned and thought it was decent. Couldn’t work out why it was a bit foggy, adjusted the tracking weight, double-checked the alignment on the Geo-disc. Still not exactly bustling with detail.

This afternoon I dug the old technics overhang measure out and instant difference. Absolutely rocking now. My best guess is that with my eyes being a bit shot to bits I was struggling to get the pivot point on the tonearm lined up. Redoing it and going with the worlds most basic cart alignment tool took that bit of the process out and that’s what’s fixed the sound. Which could have probably been avoided had I not been so lazy that I couldn’t be bothered to go and get my glasses out the car when I was setting the cart up in the first place.

Anyway. Massively pleased now I’ve actually been able to align it to the turntable as opposed to the plant pots in my neighbours garden.
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You haven’t heard it yet. It’ll get better with every side until about 20 hours.
 
Angsty said:
My Hana SL stylus is getting a bit long in the tooth; the SAE 1000LT is next.
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I always really rated my AT740ml but even after 10 LPs this seems a pretty substantial upgrade. I’m not sure how to technically describe it but the sound separation is nuts.

I’d almost say people should take the same incremental upgrade path I have just so they can get their socks (and sandals) blown off when they hit the £700+ shibata level
 
Rowan said:
Mounted the SAE 1000LT @Joe Mac kindly sold me for a song last night, aligned and thought it was decent. Couldn’t work out why it was a bit foggy, adjusted the tracking weight, double-checked the alignment on the Geo-disc. Still not exactly bustling with detail.

This afternoon I dug the old technics overhang measure out and instant difference. Absolutely rocking now. My best guess is that with my eyes being a bit shot to bits I was struggling to get the pivot point on the tonearm lined up. Redoing it and going with the worlds most basic cart alignment tool took that bit of the process out and that’s what’s fixed the sound. Which could have probably been avoided had I not been so lazy that I couldn’t be bothered to go and get my glasses out the car when I was setting the cart up in the first place.

Anyway. Massively pleased now I’ve actually been able to align it to the turntable as opposed to the plant pots in my neighbours garden.
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One trick I do with my GeoDisc is to use a metal yardstick to align to the pivot point instead of just doing it only by line of sight. The yardstick is long enough to reach from GeoDisc to the pivot point on edge and is stiff enough to ensure its a straight line.
 
Angsty said:
One trick I do with my GeoDisc is to use a metal yardstick to align to the pivot point instead of just doing it only by line of sight. The yardstick is long enough to reach from GeoDisc to the pivot point on edge and is stiff enough to ensure its a straight line.
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I thought about using string and some tape to do this.
 
Any pointers on how to store a cartridge without a stylus cover? I have a Nagaoka MP-300 that is mounted on a headshell in an inaccessible place, but it is susceptible to dust.
 
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